Pallet machine



Aug. 26 1924.;

R. F. M. DAVIS ET AL.

PALLET MACHINE Filed Oct. 21, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 26, 1924. 1,506,222

R. P. M. DAVIS ET AL PALLET MACHINE Filed Oct. 21, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet L5 Aug. 26, 1924. 1,506,222

R. P. M. DAVIS ET AL RALLE'I"MACHI!S1E F lled 02. 21, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 ELI/@7120;

Aug. 26,1924. 1,506,222

R. P. M. DAVIS ET AL v PALLET MACHINE Filed Oc'L. 21, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet s Patented Aug. 26, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROY P. M. DAVIS AND IRVIN F. HEELER, OF MOUNT UNION, PENNSYLVANIA.

PALLET MACHIN Application filed October 21, 1922.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that ROY P. M. DAVIS and IRYIN F. HEPLER, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Mount Union, in the county of Huntingdon and State of- Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pallet Machines, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to brick making machines, and more particularly to means for applying pallets to the brick molds,

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification:

Figure l is a side elevation of the invention showing the pallet carrying frame after a pallet has been placed thereon and the frame tilted;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the parts in dumping position;

Figure 3 is a side elevation showing the position assumed by the parts when a pallet is placed on the mold;

Figure 4 is an end elevation;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top. plan of the pallet carrying frame;

Figure 6v is a detail section through the pallet carrier;

Figure 7 is a detail view of the mutilated gear;

Figure 8 is a detail of pallet locking mechanism Figure 9 is a section on line 99,- of Figure l; and

Figure 10 is a fragmentary side elevation of pallet unlocking mechanism.

Referring more particularly to. the draw ings wherein like reference numerals refer tov corresponding parts throughout the several views 5, denotes a frame comprising two spaced identical members upon which, and in bearings 62, thereon, a shaft 4, is suitably mounted for oscillatory movement. Mold supports comprising angularly shaped members 3, preferably castings, are keyed to the shaft 4, in spaced relation theeron. These supports 3, are provided with recesses or pockets 60, in their upper normally horizontally disposed edges in which the ends of the mold 1 are seated.

Mounted at their inner ends on opposite ends of the shaft 4, with freedom for relative rotary movement thereon are two arms 6 and 6. These arms are connected at their outer ends and held in alinement one to the other by means of a shaft 7. An arm 8, is mounted on one end of the shaft 7, the shaft Serial No. 596,025.

7 having a key 43,, which enters an arcuate recess 61, in the arm 8, whereby the arm is free to move approximately 90 degrees about the axis of the shaft 7, independently of the shaft. Any movement of the arm 8, beyond the 90 degree limit just mentioned will cause the shaft 7, and arm 8, to move in unison. Fixed to the other end of the shaft 7, is an arm 9, the free end of which carries a pin 63, to the end of which pin is. attached the link 64. This link has an opening or eye 65, to. which the upper end of a coil spring 40, is attached, the lower end of the spring being secured to the bracket 10, in turn bolted to the arm 6*, as by bolts 66. The eye bolt 67, which connects the spring d0, to the bracket permits of the tension of the spring being regulated to exert the desired pull upon the shaft 7, in a counterclockwise direction.

The arms 6-6 are caused to osc llate to and from Figures 1 and 3 positions in unison with the mold supports 3, by means of rods 20, pivotally connected to the arms 6-6, intermediate the ends of the latter as at 110. These rods 20, are pivotally con-. nected to an end of the rock arms 23, by means of pins 68, the other end of the rock arms, being keyed to a transverse rock shaft 24, which in turn has its ends projecting through oblon openings 70, formed in two pair of spacec flat plates 27. These pairs of spaced plates 27, are provided with additional oblong openings 71, through which the opposite ends of a transverse shaft 30, extend, it being understood that the plates are loosely supported on the shafts 24 and 30. The ends of these shafts 2i and 30-, are suitably supported in bearings (not shown).

Secured between each pair of plates 27, at one end thereof as by bolts 72, is a rack 26, in mesh with a pinion 25, keyed to the shaft Cams 29, one for each pair of plates 27 secured between each pair of plates, are formed with peripheral projections or lugs 7 3-, adapted to engage the rollers 31, also mounted between each pair of plates 27, on short shafts 7 4. The shaft 30, is continuously rotated ata fixed speed from any suitable source of power (not shown). As the shaft 30 rotates, the lugs 73 on the cams 29, engage the rollers 31, forcing the latter together with the plates 27, to the left or to Figure 3 position. This movement of the plates 27', to the left causes the shaft 24, to be actuated in a counterclockwise direction, by virtue of the rack and pinion connection previously described. As the rack arms 23, are keyed to the shaft 24, movement of the latter in an anti-clockwise direction causes the rack arm to move correspondingly about the axis of the shaft 24, and in turn causes the arms 6-6 through the medium of the rods 20, to move in a clockwise direction about the axis of the shaft 4, into Figure 3 position. l/Vhen the lugs Y3, clear the rollers 31, the springs 28, effect a return or reverse movement to that just described, causing the arms 6-6"-, to return to Figure 1 position. It will thus be seen that at each revolution of the shaft 30, the arms 6-6 will move'from Figure 1 to Figure 3 position and return.

The shaft 4, is continuously oscillated about an angle of 180 degrees, by any suit able mechanism such as shown in the copending applicationof Roy P. M. Davis, SerialNo. 592,227, filed October 4, 1922, such oscillatory movement being timed to synchronize with the movements of the other parts of the machine as in our said c'opending application.

Suitably mounted in bearing (not shown) in the frame of the brick making machine are parallel spaced conveyor shafts 32 and 34, having pairs of sprockets 75, and 7 6, on their respective opposite ends, over which runs the double strand chain conveyor 77, the shaft 34, being driven from the shaft 30, by means of the sprocket chain 78, which runs over the mutilated sprocket gear 281, on the shaft 30, and over a second sprocket 80, on the shaft 34. The pallets 36-37, are placed upon the chain conveyor at the receiving end over the shaft 34, by any suitable means (not shown). The shaft 32, is preferably in a slightly lower plane than the shaft 34, and an idle gear 33, serves to maintain that portion of the conveyor chain beneath the pallets 363'. in a true horizontal plane.

7 11, denotes a tiltable pallet carrying frame comprising end angle bars 14, connected at their top edges or faces by a pair of angle bars 15, corner brackets or braces 85 being employed to brace these parts. Secured to and depending from the'bars 15, are brackets 82, to the lower ends of which are secured spaced parallel angle bars or pallet guides 16. A pair of stub shafts 81, mounted in supports 83, project at their inner ends through the end bars 14, of the pallet carrying frame and pivotally support the latter. The end of the frame 11, ex tending towards the shaft 34, is counterbalanced so that the frame will normally assume a horizontal or Figure 3 position, with the counterbalanced end resting upon the conveyor chain, or upon any other suitable stop or support (not shown). It may here be noted that the guides 16, are parallel to the travel of the conveyor chains when the frame is in horizontal position. These guides are each provided with a flat spring 13, secured at one end to the under side of the horizontal portions thereof, the other end of the springs having lugs 39, adapted to project up through openings 84, in the guides. These lugs or projections 39, stop the travel of the pallet and permit of only one pallet at a time being placed on the frame 11. The conve or shaft 34, is intermittently driven from any suitable source of powerv (not shown), the shaft and conveyor chain being in motion only when the pallet frame 11, is in horizontal position. This intermittent motion of the chain is sufficient tocarry a pallet onto the frame 11, and into contact with the stops 39.

Keyed to the shaft 7, are two spaced parallel angle bars or arms 85, having at their ends spring clips or stops 86; The angle bars 85, together with the spring stops 86, constitute a cradle 87, for receiving a pallet from the pallet frame 11, when the parts have been moved to Figure 1 position.

During the return movement of the arms 86 from Figure 3 position where a pallet has just been applied to the mold, the arms 6 6 move in a counterclockwise direction, the mold support 3, and mold 1, carried thereby to which a pallet has just been clamped also moving in the same direction. As this movement continues, the roller 88, on arm 8, mounted for limited relative movement with respect to the shaft 7, comes into.

contact with the end of the stop 38, thereby causing the shaft 7, to rotate clockwise against the tension of springs 40, through an angle of about 90 degrees. This rotation of the shaft 7, tilts the cradle 87, to Figure 2 position, and out of the path of travel of the mold support 3, which is continuing its movement in Jan anti-clockwise direction to dumping or Figure 2 position. After the brick have been ejected and the mold cleaned and lubricated by means (not shown), the mold at its next movement will return to its filling or Figure 1 position. During this movement, afterthe mold has moved a certain predetermined distance required to clear the cradle 87, the arms 66" which were temporarily checked or halted resume their anti-clockwise movement to Figure 1 position.- As the roller 88, on the arm 8, rides under the bottom inclined face of the stop 38, the "spring 40, causes the shaft 7, to move anti-clockwise, the speed of this movement being checked by the action of the roller 88, arm 8, and the stop 38. w This anticlockwise movement of the shaft 7, swings the cradle 87, into Figure 1 or'pa'llet receiving position, and the final anti-clockwise movementof the arms 6.6 brings the projection 89, on the arm 6, into contact with .93, respectively.

the roller 17, on the end of the pallet carrying frame 11, thus tilting the frame to Figure 1 or delivering position. This action brings the free ends of the springs 13, into contact with the curved end 90, of the arms 85, of the cradle 87, thereby causing the free end of the springs to be depressed, and the projections'39, thereon, forced out of the openings 84, in the guides 16. The pallet 37, which prior to the tilting of the frame 11, has been moved onto the guides 16, from the conveyor chain 77, will now slide downwardly by gravity oil the guides 16, onto the cradle 87, finally coming to rest against the clips or stops 86. The mold supports 3, and the arms 6-6 now move towards each other in anti-clockwise and clockwise direction respectively until Figure 3 position is reached, at which position the pallet is placed against the mold, and clamped in place in a manner about to be described.

Loosely mounted intermediate its ends on the shaft 4, is an arm 45, bearing at its lower end against a leaf spring 92, secured to the frame 5, and at its upper end formed with a lug or stop 46. An arm 44, keyed to the shaft 4, carries at its free end a shaft 58, loosely mounted for rotation therein. Keyed to this shaft 58, is an arm adapted to engage the lug or stop 46, when the mold in the course of its anti-clockwise movement reaches Figure 3 position. This causes the shaft 58, to rotate in an anticlockwise direction, and through the following described link and lever mechanism cause the pallet latch fingers 22, to engage over the pallet and clamp the same securely to the mold.

The pallet latches 2 and 2*, two of which are mounted on shaft 93, and two on shaft 94, on opposite sides of the mold carried by each mold support, are connected together by a link 95, which is pivotally connected at opposite ends to an arm 96 fixed on the shaft 94, and an arm 97, fixed on the shaft The pallet lat-ch 2, is piV otally connected to an arm 98, fixed on the shaft 58, by means of alink 99. It therefore follows that movement of the latches 2 is accompanied by a corresponding action of the latches 2.

When the arm 45, comes in contact with the stop 46 (at which time the pallet is placed against the mold 1) continued movement of mold supports in an anti-clockwise direction causes the shaft 58, to rotate correspondingly, and through the lever arm and link connections cause the latches to move to closed position. The mold supports now continue their anticlockwise movement to dumping position shown in Figures 2 and. 8. At the completion of this movement an arm 49 of a double armed lever 107 loosely mounted on shaft 4, has ridden over the trip lever 51, pivoted to the. frame a, behind,

lVhile the mold is moving to dumping position the dump table 100, mounted on the end. of channel beam 56, suit-ably pivoted at 101, is being elevated to Figure 10 position, to receive the pallet and mold thereon. Any suitable. means such as shown in said application Serial No. 592,227 is employed to actuate the dump table in synchronism with the mold movements. At the time or just before the dump table comes in contact with the pallet clamped to the mold, the stop pin 55, on the channel beam 56, engages the topv wall of the slot 80, in bar 54, suspended from a pin 102 fixed to the lever 10?, and projecting through a short slot 103, in the upper end of the bar. As the bar 54, is moved upwardly by the angle beam 56. a wedge shaped block 53, secured to the slot-ted bar 54 by bolts 104, engages the beveled end 106, of the trip lever 51, and rocks the latter on its pivot, thereby disengaging the arm 49, of the two armed lever 10?. A tension spring 181, attached at one end to the frame 5, and at its other end to the arm 108, of the two armed lever 107, instantly rotates the latter in a clockwise direction, causing the arm 108, to strike the pin 109, on the arm 48, and thereby rotating the shaft 58, in a clockwise direction and causing the pallet latches 22 to open. The dump table then starts to descend, with the pallet and brick just deposited thereon. At the lower end of the downward movement of the dump table, the pin 55, engages the lower end of the slot 80, in the bar 54, thereby moving the latter downwardly. This moves the wedge 53, out of engagement with the beveled end 106, of the. trip lever 51, and )ermits the beveled end to rock downward y on the pivot 105, by force of gravity, thereby resting the trip lever for the next cycle.

The. movement of the mold and arms as described applies only to one side of the machine but it will be understood that this will be duplicated on the other side as in said copending application. Each unit has a frame 5, and mold 1, on the opposite sides of center, therefore the movements of the mechanism of the other half of the machine vould be opposite to those described for the one half unit shown in the drawings.

From the foregoing it is thought that the operation of the invention will be clear but the same may be briefly reviewed as follows:

The mold having been filled and slicked in the manner set forth in said copending application, rotation of shaft 4 begins in an anti-clockwise direction. arms 6 moving towards the mold as shown in Figure 3, to ieet same. As the arms 6 move to meet the molds, the pallet carrying frame 11 assumes a horizontal position (see Figure 3) as at 105 and en a ed thereand the conveyor 77, delivers a pallet onto the cradle 87. The mold meets the pallet cradle (see Figure 3), and continues its motion, the arms 6-45" traveling back with the mold to FigureQ position. The cradle 87 is firmly held against the mold thus holding the pallet in place, until the roller 88, on the arm 8, engages the stop 88, and swings the cradle into position shown in Figure 2. Before the roller 88, engages stop 38, the arm 4-5, has engaged the arm 46, and securely locked the pallets to the mold. The mold continues its movement and comesto rest at the dumping position where the brick are removed, as described, and the mold cleaned and lubricated as illustrated in our said copending application. The mold on its return movement clears the arms 66, which then move to Figure 1 position. In moving to this final position, the projection 89, on arm 6, depresses the rollers 17, and tilts the frame 1.1. The cradle 87, is carried around depressing spring lug 39, allowing the pallet to slide into the cradle ready for the nextcycle of operation.

Having thus described our invention what we claim as our invention is:

1. In a brick making machine, a mold support and mold carried thereby, a pallet carrier, means for delivering a pallet to said carrier, said pallet carrier and said mold support being swingable about a common axis in opposing directions to bring said mold and the pallet on said pallet carrier into juxtaposition.

2. In a brick making machine, a mold support and mold carried thereby, a pallet carrier, intermittently operated means for delivering pallets to said carrier, a mold support, a cradle, means for transferring the pallet to the cradle, means for bringing the pallet on the cradle into engagementwith the mold, and means for clamping the pallet to the mold.

3. In a brick making machine, a movable mold support and mold carried thereby, a cradle and supporting means therefor, a tiltable pallet carrier, means for normally maintaining said carrier in horizontal position, a horizontally disposed pallet conveyor for delivering a pallet tosaid carrier, means for tilting the carrier to permit the pallet to move by gravity onto said cradle, and means for moving said cradle supportand said mold towards each other to bring said pallet and said mold to a common meeting point.

l. In a brick making machine, a movable mold support and mold carried thereby, a cradle and supporting means therefor, a tiltable pallet carrier, means for normally main taining said carrier in horizontal position, a horizontally disposed pallet conveyor, means for intermittently actuating said conveyor to cause said conveyor to deliver a pallet to said carrier, means for tilting the carrier to permit the pallet to move by gravity onto said cradle, said cradle support and said mold support being swingable about a common axis, and means for causing said mold support and said cradle support to tilon, a horizontally disposed pallet con-' veyor, means for intermittently actuating said conveyor to cause said conveyor to deliver a pallet to said carrier, means for tilting the carrier to permit the pallet to move by gravity ontosaid cradle, said cradle support and said mold support being swingable about a common axis, means for causing said mold support and said cradle support to swing in unison towards each other to place said pallet over said mold, and means for locking the pallet to the mold.

6. In a brick making machine, a movable mold support and mold carried thereby, a cradle and supporting means therefor, a tiltable pallet carrier, means for normally maintaining said carrier in horizontal position, a horizontally disposed pallet conveyor, means for intermittently actuating said conveyor to cause said conveyor to deliver a pallet to said carrier, means for tilting the carrier to permitthe pallet to move by gravity onto said cradle, said cradle support and said mold support being swingable about a common axis, means for causing said mold support and said cradle support to swing in unison towards each other to place said pallet over said mold, and means for locking the pallet to the mold, said last mentioned means actuated by the movement of the mold support.

7. In a. brick making machine, a movable mold support and mold carried thereby, a cradle and supporting means therefor, a tiltable pallet carrier, spring actuatedstops projecting through openings in said carrier, means for normally maintaining said carrier in horizontal position, a horizontally disposed pallet conveyor, means for intermittently actuating said conveyor to cause said conveyor to' deliver a pallet to said carrier against said stops, means for tilting the carrier, and means for depressing the stops to permit the pallet to move by gravity onto said cradle, said cradle support and said mold support being swingable about a common axis, means for causing said mold support and said cradle support to swing in unison towards each other to place said pallet over said mold, and means for locking the pallet to the mold.

8. In a brick making machine, a movable mold support and mold carried thereby, a cradle and supporting means therefor,

means for delivering a pallet to said cradle, means for moving said cradle and mold support towards each other in a common path to place the pallet on the mold, and means for moving said cradle out of the path of said mold support, after said pallet has been placed on the mold.

In testimony whereof we afi'ix our signatures in presence of tWo Witnesses.

ROY P. M. DAVIS. IRVIN F. HEPLER. Witnesses ERMA A. ROSENSTEEL, V. L. WALLETT. 

